{Disclaimer; I do not own Naruto. All characters belong to Kishimoto. In this fluff, all characters are 16.}
Naruto walked down the streets of Konoha, looking for someone to indulge his time into. He felt a grin reach his face as he observed Sakura sitting at a tree, reading her books.
"Hey, Sakura-chan!" Naruto called obnoxiously, running towards Sakura.
"Oh, hey Naruto." She smiled, secretly wishing he would stop being so annoying sometimes. There's no way she could say that to him though, he was way too nice to her.
"What're you reading there?" Naruto questioned, leaning in to get a peek of her book.
"They're just my medical books, okay!? No need to get so nosey..." She mumbled, quickly closing the book and hiding it.
Naruto raised an eyebrow, smiling like a mad-man as he chuckled to himself. Sakura turned to him and shot him a look of confusion and fear.
"W-what are you laughing about!?" Sakura pouted, hoping he didn't see the silly book she was so engulfed in.
"Hey, Sakura-chan...Let's bet on something, yeah?" Naruto quirked. He definitely had something up his sleeve.
"What're you planning now, Naruto?" Sakura narrowed her jade eyes, trying to see through his deception.
"Eh? Why'd you always think ill of me Sakura-chan!? I'm not planning anything!" Naruto exclaimed, throwing his hands out, dismissing her.
"Hmph...Whatever. What kind of bet is it?" Sakura asked, shoving her books in her side-bag and standing up, hands on hips.
"I bet...that you can't make Sasuke laugh!" Naruto cackled, pointing his finger at her decisively.
"Huh? That's not fair, he's totally devoid of emotion! I've never even seen him crack a smile before!" Sakura moaned.
"Okay, okay! To make it more fair...I'll compete against you! Whoever can make Sasuke laugh wins the bet!" Naruto grinned, throwing out a thumbs up.
Sakura merely stared at him with a motionless expression and turned, walking away, leaving Naruto to fall onto the floor.
"You know there's no point, right? None of us will be able to. We should try it on someone more capable...like...Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura suggested, turning back around.
"Well, he's easy to make chuckle, the guy sits there giggling at his perverted books all the time anyway! If we make him laugh, we wouldn't be true winners. Let's challenge ourselves." He smirked, placing a hand on Sakura's shoulder.
She cringed at the unnecessary physical contact and took a breath.
"Okay, fine. What do I get if I win?" Sakura quizzed, tempted.
Naruto thought for a moment before smiling.
"A kiss!" He exclaimed, making Sakura sigh.
"In that case, no-"
"Wait, I was only joking! You can decide at the end...if you win." Naruto stated, spotting Sasuke walking down the path towards them. "Quick, now's your chance to take the offer! Swayed, or no? He's coming, Sakura-chan!"
"F-fine, I'll take the bet! Although I don't know what makes him laugh at all-!"
"Naruto, Sakura. Lady Tsunade wishes to see us." Sasuke informed, crossing his arms.
Sakura looked towards Naruto and back to Sasuke, as Naruto leaned on Sasuke and whispered into his ear.
"Hey, Sasuke, ever noticed that Grandma Tsunade could suffocate someone with her breasts? It's frightening, isn't it?" Naruto chuckled, to which Sasuke pushed him off.
"Get off me, idiot. I don't have time to be staring at a woman's chest." Sasuke rolled his eyes and walked back down the path to Tsunade's place.
"Nice going, Naruto...very smooth indeed. Not very funny, to say the least, though." Sakura criticised, following Sasuke back to Tsunade. "Come on, Naruto."
"W-wait for me, Sakura-chan!"
Naruto got up and sprinted to Sakura, walking next to her. They eventually caught up to Sasuke who gave them a knowing look as if he was suspicious of their nervous behaviour. He eventually ignored it and they made their way to the office, where they opened the doors, walking in unison.
"Ah, Sasuke. Thank you for bringing me them." Tsunade nodded to Sasuke. "Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke." She said, looking to each of them. "You have been blessed with a mission by Kakashi, who is...supposed to be here right now." Tsunade growled.
"He's always late. Honestly, Tsunade-sama, you shouldn't really expect much from him. You don't know how much we have to put up with, with his excuses and all that. 'Traffic' this, 'black cat crossed his path' that, he makes my blood boil!" Sakura growled, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Sakura-san...don't speak so badly of me, okay? I may be late sometimes but if I'm not here on time then I have a good excu- reason." Kakashi lied, walking in through the doors.
"Nice of you to show up, Kakashi." Lady Tsunade rolled her eyes.
"You call "the path of life made me go a different way" a good reason?" Sasuke spat bitterly, to this, Kakashi shrugged.
"Anyway, this mission is A-ranked, so I expect you all to be on your best behaviour." Tsunade started. "...Including you, Kakashi." She looked to him as he rubbed the back of his head, chuckling.
"What's the mission, Grandma Tsunade?" Naruto asked, grinning sheepishly.
"You must find and take out a rogue ninja who is threatening to destroy the village. It doesn't seem more than a silly little game they're playing, but they are quite powerful and could become more of a threat to us if we let it slip. That is why I am entrusting you four with this mission, I hope you can handle it." Tsunade finished, clasping her hands together waiting for a reply. Finally, her eyes fell on Sasuke who opened his mouth to speak.
"Do we even have any information on who this guy is? We wouldn't even know where to find him." Sasuke closed his eyes calmly and crossed his arms.
Tsunade reached across her desk and pulled the drawer open, revealing blueprints of a mysterious cave on the outskirts of Konoha. She pointed to it and looked up at the ninja, ready for an explanation.
"Many have observed him walking in and out of this cave on many occasions whilst they were transporting goods, or even just looking around. We suspect this is where his hideout is. His name, however, is something we couldn't find out, but I doubt it's of any importance, anyway." Tsunade opinionated, turning to Sakura, who was beginning to speak.
"Well, Tsunade-sama, it would help if we could find his name out. It could help with background checks to see if anyone has ties with him, and obviously to see if he's really a threat or not-"
"I suggest you stop talking back to me, Sakura. As I have said before, he IS powerful and is a threat - which is something we were able to confirm for ourselves. Do you not trust my word?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the pinkette, who just looked to the floor submissively. Sasuke shot Tsunade a nasty look and opened his mouth to speak, but was cut of by Kakashi.
"I don't think it's that she doesn't trust you, Lady Tsunade, she just wishes to gather more information on the suspect. That would've been a good plan, if you hadn't have shut her down just now. But, hey, we'll get the job done any way you like - just try to remain passive, Tsunade." Kakashi shook his head, placing his hand on Sakura's head and ruffling her hair.
"Grrrr...Shut it Kakashi! I'll beat you to a pulp if you-!"
"Okay, we'll be going now!" Naruto informed, cutting off the angry Hokage as Kakashi took the lead in sprinting out the office, followed by the other three.
"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." Sakura smiled sweetly, as he cucked his head to the side.
"For what?" He asked.
"For sticking up for me back there...I really did think we were onto something, but I guess Tsunade-sama didn't like the plan after all..." Sakura took a big sigh and hung her head down, anime-style.
Kakashi smiled back, nodding his head.
"It was a good plan, Sakura-chan! Lady Tsunade doesn't know what she's talking about is all!" The eccentric blond chirped, resting his arm on her shoulder.
"Aha, thanks..." She looked towards Sasuke, who had his eyes on Naruto's arm, which was placed on her shoulder. "But I did get the idea from Sasuke - he's the one who mentioned names in the first place."
At this, Sasuke took his gaze off of Naruto onto Sakura. He lifted the tiniest bit of his lips, almost like he was beginning to smile.
'Tch. That's the most I'm gonna see out of him with this stupid bet.' She thought.
"Okay, we should all probably start packing our bags and getting ready. We'll meet back at the gate in 15 minutes." Kakashi ordered, disappearing.
"I don't need anything - so...SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto smiled as he slowly turned to Sakura. "I'll help you pack, yeah?"
"D-don't you need, like, ramen...or something?" Sakura asked, leaning back from his close proximity, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Hm...I've already got them." He suddenly revealed, opening his backpack to show multiple ramen pots, and, the occasional water bottle. "So, don't try to get rid of me Sakura-chan! You don't really think I would forget about my ramen, do you?"
"I...I suppose not? I mean...you can wait outside of my house, but...it'd be a bit...embarrassing, you know? I mean, my parents are really obsessive over every boy that walks into the house..." Sakura stuttered, looking towards Sasuke for help, who just smirked evily in satisfaction. 'Note to self: never help Sasuke when he is being bothered by Naruto.' She growled mentally.
"Please, Sakura-chan." He cried, puppy-dog eyes planted on his face. Finally, she gave in with a sigh.
"Okay then...but if you give my parents the wrong idea I swear you are going to regret it!" She flushed, a little red.
"Of course I wouldn't do that, I mean, they do know that Sasuke is your one and only, don't they?" Naruto teased, wagging a finger. POOF. A crimson red colour spread across her face in an instant.
"Naruto, I actually hate you right now." She proclaimed through gritted teeth, genuinely wishing to die. She just hoped that Sasuke hadn't heard his best friend's stupid words. She turned, and, unfortunately, he was looking straight at them, a nonchalant expression painted upon his face.
Sakura facepalmed and sunk to the floor in embarrasment.
"How many times do you have to torture everyone around you with your vexatious babbling, Naruto?" Sasuke spoke up, to which Naruto shrugged.
"It was a joke." Naruto deadpanned.
"It wasn't funny..." Sakura mumbled from the ground. Naruto thought for a minute and picked Sakura up, hauling the still red-faced girl over his shoulders.
"N-no, Naruto! Stop, let me down! I-!"
"S-Sakura-chan! S-stop...kicking!" Naruto pleaded, tightening his grip.
After a minute of struggling, Sakura gave in and flopped onto Naruto's shoulder.
"There...we go! Adda...girl...huff..." He said inbetween breaths.
"I'm going to kill you as soon as I get back onto ground, Naruto - so you better hold onto me with your LIFE." Sakura threatened, finally facing forward (which was to the back of Naruto) and realised that Sasuke's eyes were on her.
"You're evil." She muttered to him, he just shrugged in reply.
"I'm not evil, Sakura-chan!" Naruto squealed from underneath her.
"Idiot, I'm not talking to you! And, yes, you are!" She replied, crossing her arms as Naruto started walking, with Sasuke tagging along just to taunt Sakura.
"I bet you just looove this, Sasuke-kun." She growled, scowling at him - where as he had an amused look on his face. "Wipe that stupid smirk off of your face before I-!" Sakura quickly stopped herself from saying what she was going to and reddened, earning a raised eyebrow from Sasuke.
"Before...?" He started.
"Oh, just give me a break already! Before I-Uhm, punch you, idiot!" She improvised, hoping she didn't give too much away - but she was just so easy to read.
"That's not what you were going to say, Sakura-chan - even I know that!" Naruto chuckled from underneath, getting a punch on the head from Naruto - leaving him to drop her and hold his head.
She dropped on her back and quickly got back up, dusting herself off.
"Aha!" She pointed at Naruto, running off towards her house.
She quickly stopped when Sasuke appeared infront of her at the speed of light, leaving her to trip backwards in order to stop herself pummeling into him. He caught her by the wrist though, and she attempted to pull away, failing, and sighing heavily again.
"Oh god...not again. Just let me leave, Sasuke!" She cried, putting her other hand on her restrained one and pulling hard, putting all of her weight onto getting free.
Naruto eventually caught up, huffing and puffing, pointing at Sakura and laughing.
"You can't escape ME, Sakura-chan!" Naruto evily grinned, nearing her.
"No, please!" She cried comically, hanging her head, but still not giving up the fight.
Suddenly, Sasuke thought it would be a good idea to let go of Sakura, leaving her to fall backwards. Naruto caught her in time, and looked towards Sasuke with an angry look.
"Eh? You tryna kill her, Uchiha!?" Naruto defended.
"That wouldn't have had her anywhere NEAR death, you idiot." Sasuke huffed, putting his hands into his pockets. Naruto ignored him and looked down to Sakura, who had her hands clutched to her chest and had an annoyed look on her face.
"You can let me go now." She plainly said.
"Uh, yeah, sure." Naruto, dumbfounded, let her go. She stood up and continued walking.
"Thanks, though." She shrugged, to which Naruto grinned - and Sasuke noticed.
"She only said thanks, Naruto. You're not getting high from it, calm down." He rolled his eyes, following Sakura. Naruto shook his head, wiping the dreamy look off of his face and glaring at Sasuke's back.
"What's gotten into you, bitterboy?" Naruto mumbled under his breath, following him unwillingly, wishing to be next to Sakura.
Sakura turned around to face her followers, irritated with their presence - to find that the Uchiha was no longer there.
"Stop-!...following me?" She looked around hesitantly but couldn't see him. She looked to Naruto for an answer.
"He's right there..." Naruto pointed behind Sakura, as if he knew the question she was going to ask. She spun around on her heel and faced Sasuke, who had his back to her and was still walking.
"You're not going to my house, Sasuke. Neither is Naruto." Sakura blandly stated, placing a hand on her hip.
"I'm not going to your house." He hissed.
"Then where are you headed?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.
He merely grunted in response, leaving Sakura to smirk and Naruto to chuckle.
"I think he likes you, Sakura-chan!" Naruto teased, leaving Sasuke and Sakura to look at him with glares. "J-joking!" He quickly sweated.
"Shut your mouth, idiot. No one wants to hear your incessant chattering all the time." Sasuke growled, giving Naruto a death stare.
Sakura continued walking towards her house in annoyance, leaving the two to argue back and forth. She reached her door and opened it, greeting her parents and walking up to her room. She grabbed a small but compact backpack and packed a few clothes and essentials (like food and water), suddenly hearing the door open downstairs and her parents saying something.
"Oh of course, please come in! She's just up in her room." She heard her mother say.
Shit.
She heard them running up the stares and opening Sakura's bedroom door to reveal the blonde boy staring down at her.
"I told you to stay out of my house." Sakura groaned.
Naruto shrugged, grinning.
"I wanted to see you. And your parents aren't even bad, so I don't know why you would consider them embarrassing." Naruto smiled, sitting down on the floor next to Sakura.
"First of all, Naruto, it's been like - 5 minutes? And second of all, you don't know them like I do." She told him, seeming to scrunch her nose up in disgust.
"Eh. Well I'm sure you're just exaggerating. Although they did ask if I was your boyfriend though, I took my chance and said yeah." Sakura flushed a little at this statement. The boy was already up and rummaging through her cupboards. He pulled something out and stared at it with confusion. "Hey, Sakura-chan, what's this?"
"What's wh-" She turned to him to see that he was holding a box of...sanitary towels. She felt her face heat up as she screamed at him to get out, as the boy, in his innocence, didn't understand his wrong doing.
Naruto was shoved outside into the streets by Sakura, greeting by Sasuke who had been waiting patiently. Naruto rubbed his face (which had a red hand-print on it) as he walked down the stairs to Sasuke.
"Jeez, Sakura-chan can be scary sometimes..." Naruto mumbled.
"What did you do now, loser?" Sasuke rolled his eyes.
"I didn't do anything wrong!" Naruto defended himself, throwing his arms out. "I just pulled out a box of tissues or something and asked her what it was, that's all! Then she got mad and told me to get out!"
"Tissues?" Sasuke questioned, urging him to go on.
"I didn't know what it was, okay? It just looked super weird!" He replied.
"Maybe she just kicked you out for looking through her stuff. I would do the same thing. You're so nosey, you know that?" Sasuke rhetorically questioned, shaking his head, still unaware of what Naruto was referring to with the 'box'.
Naruto opened his mouth to argue, when Sakura's door swung open, out walking Sakura with the bag on her back. She looked down and observed the pair, focusing primarily on Sasuke.
"Okay, let's go now." Sasuke impatiently hurried, walking down the path.
"You didn't even have to come - I already said that. I don't even know why you were still here." Sakura piled back, leaving Naruto grinning with an 'answer'.
"I know why, Sakura-chan." He started, getting a 'don't-even-think-about-it' look from his male teammate. "It's because he-!"
Sasuke whacked him across the head in anger.
"You're holding us up, dobe. Get moving." Sasuke seethed with an excuse.
Sakura, uninterested in whatever nonsense Naruto was about to spout, followed Sasuke willingly.
"Ow..." Naruto whined.
Well, here's my first chapter! Tell me what you think so far (make sure to leave reviews and favourite me and my story if you enjoyed!) The next chapter will be out soon, so please be patient.
Thank you! :D